World War I was, simply put, a war like no other. It was the first total war the world had experienced and it revolutionized our idea of war and what it entailed. World War I eventually coined the nickname “the war to end all wars”; which we now find to be ironic because there have been plenty of wars since. At the time, however, it was believed that society would be rebirthed by the war and it would be changed to a more perfect form. There would be no sense in war anymore because humanity would finally be ideal. Yet when we examine the casualties and destruction post-war, they add up to a horrific amount. During this era, it seemed nearly impossible for war to continue, in consideration to the welfare of humanity. Still though, it only …show more content…
Sometimes, terrible things have to happen so necessary changes can take place. In contrast to President Wilson’s more rational ideals, Winston Churchill, an allied leader, argued this. He claimed that, “We are not meant to find peace in this world,” and that war often brought progress and necessary revolutions for the betterment of society. Some believed it would erase the class systems and return the mannerly values of society. Others believed it would overthrow the oppressing sense of dictatorship and democracy would prevail. Colonials believed that maybe the Europeans would finally grant them independence.
Although war brings death and destruction, the world could be worse without it. Sometimes there’s a lot to lose but even more to gain. Even Emile Zola, a person notorious for being a leftist, found that, “it is only the warlike nations that have prospered. A nation dies as soon as it disarms. War is the school of discipline, sacrifice, and courage.” The Great War could not be “the war to end all wars” because history repeats itself. Just as World War I was seemingly bound to happen, so is every other war. An event leads to another event, which will eventually lead to war. Life seems to be a never ending cycle of major historical events and their repercussions. Nothing would ever end war because the world doesn’t know how to function without it.
World War I presented a war that was more industrial than those that had preceded it. It
Nothing exists in nature, is born, grows or multiplies except by combat”(Document 1). This helps explain that militarism was an underlying cause of the war since it states that with war, you can be rewarded with success and prosperity. James Joll, a British historian, said, “We realize that without power, without a strong army and a strong navy, there can be no welfare for us”(Document 8). This is suggesting to the reader that, without a powerful defense such as a strong army and navy, there would be no
World War I was a great loss both physically and emotionally. It was a conflict between the Allies and the Central Powers from 1914 to 1918. More than 15 million people were killed in battled, making it one of the most deadly conflicts in history. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria- Hungary was seen as the trigger of the war. The war was described as a world war, a total war, and a modern war. A world war because it involved the whole world. A total war because people used maximum resources for the purpose of the war. A modern war because the people used technological and industrial mobilization.
War leads to oppression and leaves negative implications on all people and societies by impacting the poor, women, children, and nations as a whole. "War is a state of violent conflict between one or more groups" (Rasenberger 3). Rasenberger defines war as a state of conflict between one group within itself or several groups in combat with each other, what is not mentioned are the after-effects of war. War itself leads to many civilian and military deaths, an estimated 1.5-3.8 million people died during the Vietnam War and an approximate 500,000 people died in the Iraq war. The biggest tragedy of War is that it always results in fatality, but another key, negative, factor to understand is that after the War many adverse implications arise. Post-war ramifications in the nation fall upon the poor, women, and children, making them weaker and less motivated leading to the downfall of a society. Regardless if a nation wins or is defeated in war they have to deal with consequences of war and find solutions to the impacted people and society. It is essential to understand that there is never a true victor in war because regardless of the outcome, fatality and a fall of morale within society on both sides are inevitable. War has often been the solution to situations that required force or violence, but in recent times this has
“The war to end all wars” was what people called it. Others called it “The Great War”. Many people died in this war. And there was really no right or wrong in this war; meaning that I don’t think there really was a side that was wrong or right, and I’m going to explain why further in this essay. I think both sides were wrong in things, but in the end, Germany was the one that suffered the most because they were being forced to pay billions dollars in the war debts, and let the French control a rich mine for well over 15 years. But before that Germany and the Britain’s were at war with each other. And Germany sent out a warning to everyone saying that every ship crossing the war zone line (which was the
The First World War of 1914-1918, also known as the Great War, was the first total war in history. What began as a European struggle over the balance of power between the triple alliance of France, Britain and Russia on one side and the central powers of Germany and Austria-Hungary on the other, soon became a global conflict that involved the imperial powers of Europe, their colonies and lands such as the Ottoman Empire, Japan and the United States. Although the sheer number of countries involved in the conflict is enough to describe the First World War as a mass war, what makes it total is the fact that it was waged not only against the enemy’s armies, but also against the civilian
People believe war can help the development of mankind and country. Stated by Emile Zola in her book The Origin of the First World War, “It is only warlike nations which have prospered; a nation dies as soon as it disarms. War is the school of discipline, sacrifice and courage” (Document 1). Zola’s point is very true. After years of war, the winning country can always gain some sort of profit.
Completely altering what a war was in every aspect of the term, World War I caused immense devastation and havoc. Excluding the American Civil War, it was the first war that took place lasting any longer than a few months. This was due to countless innovations made in both war strategy and weaponry. Involving 32 countries and causing the deaths of over 17 million soldiers and civilians, World War I was one of the largest and most destructive wars at that point in modern history. As a result of the abundance of militarism and nationalism throughout all European countries, most of the world was thrown into the chaos of World War I. Bringing about a competitive attitude between the major powers of Europe, militarism greatly increased the chances
The conflict of war and its effects have been debated throughout history. Some argue that there are other peaceful alternatives besides war that would lead to a better outcome, but in reality this is not the case. War is a natural part of human interactions, and even though it brings death and destruction, war will not cease to exist. Wars are the human way of getting one group to look superior than the other. The idea of a passive approach is ideal, but it is almost nearly impossible and may not always lead to the same outcome as if a war had taken place.
Imagine you are a soldier at war fighting for your country. You have no other thought in your head but the fact that you are destined to beat the filthy slobs on the other side. Little do you know how the chemicals used to destroy the enemy will effect him; let alone yourself. Little do you know how the enemy’s family on the other side will be affected once he’s dead. World War 1 and World War 2 both had many similarities and differences. Both Wars started from an imbalance of power, had incredibly high death tolls, and caused lasting effects on many countries.
World War I is estimated to have killed to an extent of 10 million people (background essay) and costing up to 186 billion dollars. WWI began in 1914 and lasted until 1918 and regarded the European Empires. The annihilation which took place in the European empires can be contributed to the unification and exclusion of countries, the desire for world dominance, and the tensions surrounding militarism.
"From the happy expression on their faces you might have supposed that they welcomed the war. I have met with men who loved stamps, and stones, and snakes, but I could not imagine any man loving war." Margot Asquith revealed her discontent with war in this quote. War is defined in the American Heritage Dictionary as a concerted effort or campaign to combat or put an end to something considered injurious. A rather contradicting definition from the dictionary when one examines war's true meaning and the effect it has on mankind. Wars do not put an end to something considered injurious, war starts them. War stems from human greed
Throughout history, war has always been described as an atrocity and an unnecessary reason for the loss of life. This is not the case. War is necessary for the survival of the economy, the sustainability of non-renewable resources, and the progression of inventions.
War is controversial, unfortunate, and certainly misunderstood; it is a transforming agent, a catalyst for change. Nonetheless, many people focus on war's negative consequences, while positive effects are downplayed. War is a necessary evil in the sense that it stabilizes population, encourages technological advances, and has a very high economic value. Without war, the overpopulation of the human race is inevitable. It is this reason that war is a useful tool by not only Mother Nature, but also humans themselves to institute population control.
The human cost of World War I was enormous. The war was the worst war in the history of the world. It certainly was the worst for the fighting men, the men existed for four years in unthinkable conditions. Millions of troupes lived in trenches and holes in the ground only as wide as their wingspan. Millions of men died horrible deaths and many millions more were wounded physically, mentally and spiritually to which it was almost impossible to recover. Casualties in a single day of fighting often rose to tens of thousands. In France, where the worst of the war was fought, they never have fully recovered from the conflict. The French lost half a generation of young men, and memories of the conflict, along with WW2, are still deeply rooted
World War I produced major economic changes. British industry had been to a large extent transformed by the mobilization of millions of soldiers and by an unprecedented switch to war production. Under a positive perspective, the economy had shown a new production capacity. Although total output had decreased, due to the smaller workforce, productivity definitely increased. There had been much state-sponsored modernization. Electric power was used more than